Engineering a New World

You’d have to be living in a cave to not know by now that Haiti has suffered a 7.0 richter scale earthquake, and with an already-shot infrastructure, is now in a worst-case-scenario disaster as volunteer organizations struggle to coordinate their efforts and bring help to the millions that need it in Haiti. 

I’ve got a little 4-month-old, so I’m not in a position to go down there and pitch in with the Volunteer Ministers already on their way there, but what I can do is help get the word out. 

In coordination with the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Washington, D.C., we now have a blog to give you the latest on what’s going on in Haiti, as well as a twitter account that will be kept up to date on how you can assist – or how you can get help if you or someone you know is in need.

I just ran across an awesome article while browsing ScientologyToday, an article in the Maritime Reporter & Engineering News which goes over the complete refit and restoration of the Scientology Motor Vessel Freewinds. 

From their pull quote:

In today’s “I need it yesterday” world, emphasis on quantity often overpowers quality, while the quick fix can supercede the correct one.  Step back, take a deep breath and enjoy the fruits of a tremendous labor, a labor of love that resulted in the top-to-bottom renovation of a storied ship with a unique owner.  — Greg Trauthwein, Editor

The article then goes on at quite some length about the amazing attention to detail that was paid to every last piece of the restoration of the Freewinds, including before-and-after photos of a number of sections of the ship (something I had never even seen before).

In elucidating the incredible attention to detail demanded by the project managers and the Captain of the Freewinds, the editor of this article was also floored with the amount of responsibility the ship’s own crew was taking in the renovations project. 

Making the scope of the renovation all the more amazing: while the organization brought on a bevy of contractors to fulfill much of the heavy-duty fabrication and construction, it was the crew who was responsible for the intricate and laborious renewal and renovation, including a meticulous cleaning and rejuvenation of the engine room, the engine control room and the bridge (including the machining of the new stainless steel parts, overhauling the equipment, painting and polishing), all while the ship stayed in operation.

And I don’t doubt it.  The crew of the Freewinds are some of the most amazing people I have ever met.

I wasn’t about to write a blog post tonight, so I’m going to keep this short.  But in my little Flock homepage, I saw this little headline story about the Pirate Party getting a seat in European parliament. 

I really, honestly, am pretty disgusted by this.

First off, while I usually have some sympathy for embattled little technology people who get embroiled in legal battles, as they’re generally good people.  However, after reading this page on their site, I lost any sympathy I ever had for them.  My opinion is these Pirate Bay principals have zero cognitive idea of the concept of exchange — meaning someone skilled creates something, and provides it in exchange for something valuable back.  For example, if many, many talented programmers work for a long time on a video game, and they finally finish it, and it’s great, then they then sell it and if you like it you buy it from them.  That way they get money, and can afford to keep making neat video games. 

They just seem to be interested in being “pirates” in the truest sense of the word — where you take things that rightfully belong to others, with no exchange, and without their permission.

Now, we have a political party that has, as it’s goal, abolishing the copyright system, abolishing the trademark system, and convincing people that, and I quote from Rick Falkvinge, the leader and founder of the party, “…that the government is not always good.”

OK, I’m not a politician or a copyright lawyer, but I am someone who has benefitted from the inventions and industriousness of others who invent and thereby commercialize things they have created, based on their own ingenuity and resourcefullness.

Would someone please enlighten me as to what possible good would come about through abolishing copyrights and patents?  The only thing I can see is negative effects, quashing people who normally would try to come up with great stuff and sell it — driving them into apathy. 

As a Scientologist, I definitely understand the role of trademarks and copyright law, as without such someone could publish books on my religion where people did voodoo dances, and then say it’s “Scientology”.    So, the continued existance of my religion depends on such laws being in place.  All other religions and organizations also depend on the same — it’s a basic agreement that helps hold the world together. 

So, I reiterate:  what possible good could a political party aiming to obliterate copyright law ever come to?